Independence Blue Cross (IBX) announces the publication of a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open, unveiling impactful health policy insights concerning the treatment of anxiety, depression, or opioid use disorder (OUD).
Analytic experts from IBX, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania and Tulane University, conducted an extensive study involving nearly 190,000 Independence members which showed that integrating behavioral health services into Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+)[i] practices significantly increased access to and use of opioid use disorder (OUD), depression, and anxiety treatments. While improving access to these services, the study showed no increase in overall costs.
In particular, the study shows that OUD patients in CPC+ practices with behavioral health offerings were more likely to fill prescriptions for medically assisted treatments (MAT) such as buprenorphine and anxiety medications compared to those who received care elsewhere. MAT is often used to help facilitate safer opioid withdrawal by relieving symptoms and controlling cravings.
“Our partnership with leading academic institutions has allowed us to demonstrate the value of improving access to behavioral health services in CPC+ practices and treating OUD, depression, and anxiety,” said Aaron Smith-McLallen, PhD, Director of Data Science and Health Outcomes Research and study co-author. “We are committed to continuing to work with primary care practices to implement innovative models of care that deliver better outcomes and lower costs for our members.”
“While our results show modest improvements, they highlight the potential of primary care-based models to enhance access to mental health and substance use treatment,” said Tatiane Santos, PhD, MPH, assistant professor at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, the study’s lead author who also holds an adjunct senior fellow appointment at Penn Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. “This study underscores the importance of continued efforts to integrate behavioral health services into primary care settings.”
Alon Bergman, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the Perelman School of Medicine said, “As the healthcare industry continues to shift towards value-based care models, it is crucial to understand the impact of programs like CPC+ that can improve outcomes for patients with complex mental health and substance use conditions.”
[i] According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) is a national advanced primary care medical home model that aims to strengthen primary care through multi-payer payment reform and care delivery transformation
Media contact:
Ruth Stoolman
215.667.9537 (cell)
Ruth.Stoolman@ibx.com